Partners
by soda-me
Summary: Ponyboy's English partner learns some surprising things when she's forced to take a closer look at the east side. There's no way to make this sound good. But it's NOT a romance, I swear! I don't do romance! FINALLY UPDATED AND FINISHED.
1. Just My Luck

**Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. Not me. **

Smart class. At least that's what the people who weren't in that class called it. If you were in the "smart class" you called it the "accelerated class" because after all, you had to be brainy to be in it, right?

I'd also thought you had to be a Soc. But apparently I was wrong. I found that out the day we found it our English partners for the year. I got paired up with a hood.

"Ponyboy Curtis will be paired with Marlene Evanson," Mr. Syme announced, and I threw my friend Adelaide a shocked look. She returned it, as amazed as I.

I stole a glance at this Ponyboy Curtis and was surprised to see him staring at the ground, looking a mixture of embarrassed, tough, and surprised all at once. Suddenly he must've realized I was looking at him, because his eyes flicked up to meet mine. They didn't look tough or bitter, though. But I only held his gaze for a second before tossing my hair and mouthing the word "hood" to Adelaide. She giggled and turned her attention back to the front of the room as Mr. Syme called her name.

"All right, now I'd like you all to go and meet your partners. You probably know most of them, but just the same, you will be working with them for the rest of the semester, so just get together for a minute," Mr. Syme instructed us.

I reluctantly gathered my books and things and went over to the desk beside Ponyboy. "I'm Marlene," I introduced myself in a mumble.

"I'm Ponyboy," he answered. He sounded shyer than I would've expected. Well, not exactly shy, but not the way I thought he would. After all, with his hair greased and the rumoured switchblade in his pocket, I figured his voice would be tough and mean. But it wasn't. And that surprised me.

"I guess we're the same age," I muttered. I knew I was being rude. But I couldn't help it. I was conscious of the fact that Adelaide was watching me from across the room like a hawk. This boy didn't seem like the other greasers in our school or even our grade for that matter, but I wasn't about to trust him yet.

But Ponyboy Curtis surprised me for the third time in about five minutes by shaking his head. "I got moved up a grade," he told me quietly. "In the fifth grade."

Well, no wonder he was in the accelerated class then. He was the only greaser in our class, as a matter of fact. So how did I end up as his partner, of all people?

I nodded silently. We sat there in awkward silence for the next few minutes. I avoided looking over at him and concentrated instead on Adelaide and her partner. She'd landed a partnership with the best-looking boy in the class. She had all the luck of the two of us. Soon Mr. Syme called us to attention again.

"All right, we're going to jump right into things. And hopefully we land on both feet," he said with a twinkle in his eye. Some of the more "teacher's pet" sort of students laughed and he continued. "Your first assignment is to study your partner. Interview them, and watch the way they act. Concentrate on the smaller details. If possible, make a trip to each other's homes and study the way they are there, and their family. I want you to write at least a page on your partner and his lifestyle. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. You may begin now."

All the other pairs started asking questions around the room, but I wasn't sure where to begin. Ponyboy cleared his throat and faced me squarely.

"I'm not exactly sure how to start," he said, sounding a bit nervous almost. "I guess…tell me about your family?"

I nodded, still not looking him in the eye. "I have an older brother named Peter, whom we call Pete. And my father is in the oil industry. My mother stays at home—you know, keeping up the house and everything. What do your parents do?" I really was curious. What jobs did the parents of a hood have? Probably not great ones. Maybe his mother worked so they could meet ends meet. I was tempted to snicker at the thought, even though I knew it wasn't polite.

Ponyboy looked down at the floor again. "My parents are dead," he said simply. I was appalled at the lack of emotion in his voice and face. He sounded as though he hardly even cared that they were dead! It never occurred to me then that this cool exterior was maybe a mask of somebody really hurting still.

"I'm sorry," I said, because that was what you said to people when they told you something like that. And even a greaser didn't deserve to have no parents.

He went on, "I live with my two older brothers. Darrel and Sodapop."

I blurted out, "You certainly have strange names, you know that?" I couldn't help myself. My mother would've been appalled. But Adelaide would probably have laughed. She seemed to be enjoying getting to know her partner.

Ponyboy smiled faintly. "I know. They were my dad's idea. If you wanted to know, Darry works at a roofing company. Roberts' Roofing."

"Why, my uncle owns that company!" I exclaimed in surprise. Then I blushed a bit. It sounded as though I were bragging. I hadn't meant to, though.

Ponyboy seemed to lose some of his nerve after that. Maybe the fact that my uncle owned the company where his older brother worked was more of a distancing factor than I had thought it might be. "And Soda works at a gas station. A DX, actually. He dropped out of school a little while ago."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at hearing this. Adelaide had told me about Sodapop, but I had never guessed that this was his younger brother. She would talk about "the one hood a girl can flirt with and not get called out for it" sometimes. Now I could see some resemblance between the two brothers. But I didn't mention that I knew who his brother was.

Ponyboy seemed to be finished talking about his family, so I coughed and asked the next question. "How are we going to do the other part of this assignment?"

He looked puzzled. "What do you mean, Marlene?" And it sounded odd to hear him say my name. I realized I hadn't said his to him at all when speaking to him.

I was ashamed, to a certain degree. I was not acting fairly, perhaps, but it wasn't right that I would be partnered with the only hood in the class. Even if he didn't act like my idea of a hood.

"I mean—am I supposed to go to your house or something after school? I'm not sure that would work, you know," I said in a rush. "I'm very busy, and I'm not sure that I would be able to get a ride home, and—"

Ponyboy interrupted me. "And you don't want to go to some east side hood's house? You don't have to. I understand," he said flatly.

I shook my head. "Grades are important," I insisted. "I'm sure I can find some way home. But—I never even said anything about being embarrassed."

"You didn't have to say it," he informed me. "I already knew."

Now I was embarrassed. He couldn't be any happier about this than I was. He didn't seem so bad, really. The only problem would be Adelaide.

"What?" she said, shocked. "You're going to his house?"

I nodded. "I have to. For the English assignment. Aren't you going to Wesley's house tonight?"

"Well, yes, but Marlene," Adelaide grabbed me by the shoulders, "He's a hood!"

I sighed. "I know. But my father will be furious if my grade suffers because of my partner and I not doing the assignment properly."

Adelaide looked sceptical. "Your father will be furious if you go to his house," she pointed out. It was probably true. But I was adamant. I would do it.

"I'm going, Addy," I said firmly. "At least he's one of the nicer hoods."

"There's no such thing as a nice greaser. Not that I've met, anyway," Adelaide retorted. "Ponyboy Curtis hangs around with trash like Dallas Winston!"

I stopped in my tracks and turned back to my friend. The halls were crowded now as everyone flooded out to go home for the day. Addy and I had been sent out of math class early because she had to prepare for cheerleading tryouts.

"How do you know so much about Dallas Winston?" I asked her.

She folded her arms across her chest with a frown. "My sister rides in rodeos. She sees him there sometimes. Besides, she knows everything about people in this town. She's a cheerleader, just like I'm going to be in a few hours."

I scoffed, "Your sister doesn't know everything about everyone. Just because her boyfriend is class president and she's head cheerleader, you think your family is so important, Addy Valance."

She looked really mad now, but then she just sighed. "Why are we fighting over some hood?" she asked in a calmer tone of voice. "Are you sure you want to meet him and go to his house tonight, Marlee?"

"I don't really have a choice. I even asked Mr. Syme and he said it was vital for the assignment," I said. This was true. After class, I'd stayed back purposely to ask.

Adelaide smiled. "Good luck, Marlee. I've got to go to tryouts now. Wish me luck!"

"Good luck!" I called as she hurried away down to the girls' locker rooms. "And I'm going to need all the luck I can get at the Curtis house," I whispered to myself under my breath.

It was time to make my trip to the east side.

**Hmm…so far I'm not sure how long this will be—I'm thinking if I can get it done, then it might be a three-part thing. I need a break from my parody. But that doesn't mean I'm abandoning it. Hopefully this will inspire me! Anyway, don't worry, because this is not going to turn into a romance, I promise. **

**Reviews? Flames? Comments? Suggestions for improvements? Please, tell me. **


	2. East Side Story

**Part Two**

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Outsiders. **

Ponyboy, just like he'd said he'd be, was waiting behind the school, in the back parking lot. That's where the greasers park their beat-up cars. The Socs, like my brother Pete, parked their cars out front. They liked to show them off.

People looked kind of surprised when I walked right over to Ponyboy. I was nervous, to be honest, around all those greasers. A lot of them were just hanging around talking to their friends or teasing their girlfriends. I stuck out like a sore thumb. And I wasn't used to that.

"You showed up," Ponyboy stated. He looked sort of taken aback to see me.

"Surprised?" I asked, forcing a smile. "How are we getting there?"

"Huh?" he seemed confused. "Oh, my friend Two-Bit said he'll drive us over in his car. He'll be here in a little while."

I said cautiously, "Are you sure this isn't a problem for y'all?"

Ponyboy smiled. It was the second time I'd seen him do that. He had a nice smile, I decided. But he didn't show it often in our classes together. I wondered if that was because he was stuck there without his friends, or because of the comments some of the more obnoxious boys made when the teacher was preoccupied, or because he was just trying to look tough.

"Shoot, my buddy doesn't got anything better to do," he told me. His friend, Two-Bit Mathews, showed up just then. I didn't know him, only knew of him. He was somewhat infamous at our school because of his status as a junior at nearly nineteen. Everybody knew of him, and I knew you couldn't shut him up.

"Nothing better to do when a girl like this is around," he agreed, and I bristled instantly. This was exactly why I hadn't been thrilled to go to my partner's house.

Ponyboy laughed and got into the rusty pickup truck. When I hesitated, he asked, "You comin' or not, Marlene?"

I shook off my discomfort and got into the backseat. "Aww, Pony, you should've got out and given the lady your spot," Two-Bit chided him with a cocked eyebrow.

I said, my voice just slightly shaky, "I'm fine back here." Then I relaxed and remembered who I was. A Soc. They were tough, but I was better than them.

Wasn't I?

We drove in mainly silence. Well, Ponyboy and I did. Two-Bit chattered on, not caring whether anyone talked back or not. We gradually started passing smaller and shabbier houses. This wasn't the sort of neighbourhood I was used to. Our house wasn't huge by any means, but compared to some of the places we drove by, it was a palace. Some of these places just didn't seem to be kept up nicely at all.

The house we stopped at (well, sort of stopped, I'd been quickly informed that the brakes were 'acting up again') was small. Very small, and not in the best shape. I sort of got the impression that somebody tried to take care of it but just didn't have the time or something. There were no gardens or flowers that I could see, and no vehicles in the driveway until we pulled in.

"Last stop: Curtis house," Two-Bit announced, and Ponyboy hopped out of the truck. I followed him more slowly, feeling more and more out of my comfort zone. All my friends lived fairly close to me, their houses similar to mine. I wasn't sure how to act in a place like this. I'd never really been on the east side of town.

"Come on in," Ponyboy offered, so I just trailed along behind him. To my astonishment, the door was unlocked, so we just went right on in. The living room and kitchen were sort of like what I'd pictured from seeing the outside of the house. My house was exquisitely furnished and neat as a pin. My mother insisted on keeping it that way, in case anyone happened to stop by spontaneously. She ruled our house.

This kitchen had dirty dishes piled in the sink, and cupboard doors left hanging open. The living room had a few beer bottles lying around, and the floor looked like it needed to be vacuumed. I kept my mouth shut. But I knew I would be giving Adelaide an earful later.

"You can just…sit somewhere," Ponyboy told me awkwardly. So I sat on the sofa, which was well-worn but surprisingly comfortable. However, the switchblade on the table beside me was somewhat disconcerting.

"Are you thirsty? Do you want something to eat?" he asked me. I could tell he was grasping at straws just like I was. He was trying hard to be a good host. I knew it.

I shrugged. It probably seemed snobby to him, but I wasn't sure what else to do. "I guess I'll have something to drink. Anything is fine."

"Chocolate milk okay?" Ponyboy said, pouring me a glass. "We're out of everything else. Darry has to go grocery shopping 'cause Two-Bit and Steve eat us out of house and home," he added, somewhat apologetically.

I accepted the glass and sipped the brown liquid. I hadn't had chocolate milk in years, since Mother made us join her in eating healthy foods. "Where is everybody?" I asked timidly. "Your brothers, I mean."

Ponyboy looked mildly surprised by my question. He sat down on an armchair across from me and answered, "Darry's at work, and Soda's shift doesn't end till four. Just wait. He'll come bursting in here in a little while. He always has to make his entrance." Then he abruptly lapsed back into silence, like he was afraid he'd said too much.

"I know who your brother is," I said bluntly, just to break the silence. He raised his eyebrows quizzically. "I mean, I've only seen him a few times at that gas station. But I know who he is."

"Oh." That was all. Just "oh". He was a real conversationalist. I checked my wristwatch quickly. Ten to four. Hallelujah. At least someone else would be in the house with us soon. This was the most awkward situation I'd landed myself in since…well, you don't need to hear that story.

Ten minutes ticked by with me silently observing the house around me, and Ponyboy looking desperately towards the front door. And then…

Bang! The door flew open so hard it hit the wall and an older boy bounced inside. That's really the only word for it, bounced. He kicked off his shoes (I had to duck because one got so close to hitting me) and hollered, "Mail come yet?"

Ponyboy shot me a look that said, "See what I mean?" and I had to chuckle. For a second I forgot who we both were and it was like we were friends. Then I remembered when he looked away, towards his older brother.

Sodapop Curtis looked even better at close range. Adelaide and I had always been too chicken to actually go up to the gas station, so we'd hang back in her sister's car while she and her friends flirted. But now I was _in his house! _Suddenly I forgot that I was supposed to be here for a school assignment. All I could think was, _wait until Addy finds out about this! She's going to just die! _

"Hey Pony, who's your girlfriend?" Soda teased, messing up his brother's hair. "She looks too nice for a greaser like you."

Ponyboy smiled despite his reddening ears. "She's my English partner, Sodapop. Her name is Marlene Evanson. She's here partly to study you."

Soda turned that grin on me, and I blushed, hating the way Ponyboy's words sounded. They implied that I was here to watch him, which wasn't true…not that I minded that part of the assignment, of course.

"Nice to meet you, Marlene," he said, sounding friendlier than I would've expected. "Two-Bit give y'all a ride home from school?"

I nodded. "I forgot to thank him, though," I admitted guiltily. Soda laughed, grabbing a slice of chocolate cake and pouring his own glass of chocolate milk.

"Don't worry about it. Just be glad you made it here alive," he said. He sounded so serious, I had to do a double take to make sure he was joking.

I smiled, trying to relax and finding it difficult. "So, um, is there anything I should know about you?" I asked, wincing because it sounded so stupid. Why did this greaser make me feel so self-conscious? His looks? Partly. Maybe because these Curtis boys were just so unlike what I'd been told about greasers. At least so far. Except for that switchblade on the table…

As though reading my mind, Soda reached over to pick up the knife. "So that's where it's been this whole time," he mused to himself. Then, in answer to my question, "I don't know. What were you hoping to find out?"

"I'm not sure," I said, biting my lip anxiously.

Ponyboy agreed, "It's a pretty vague assignment. She's just supposed to study me or something. Hey, should you be calling someone to let them know you're here?"

I grimaced. I'd completely forgotten. "Yes, thanks for reminding me."

"Phone's over there," he pointed to the kitchen. I got up and dialled my home number quickly, aware that they were both watching me with interest.

My mother answered. This was not good. "Hi, Mother," I said into the receiver.

"Marlene? Where in the world are you?" she demanded, sounding frazzled.

"Uh…I'm at a friend's house doing schoolwork," I said, stretching the truth a bit. Ponyboy raised his eyebrows at the word 'friend' and Soda chuckled.

"Well, why didn't you call me first?" Mother asked, upset.

"I forgot. Don't worry about picking me up, I'm sure I can get a ride home somehow," I told her smoothly. "This is a very important assignment."

"All right, Marlene. But next time call. And I want you doing schoolwork only. If you're going to be out past curfew, I expect another call. And for goodness sake, stay out of trouble and don't go on the east side. You know your father's rule," Mother reminded me. I was tempted to burst out laughing. If she only knew.

"Yes, Mother. I've got to go now. Goodbye," I said before hanging up.

When I went back to the living room, it was time to really get down to business.

A few hours later, I'd taken sufficient notes on the Curtis family and a couple of their friends, Two-Bit and the notorious Dallas Winston himself, along with a quiet, shy boy named Johnny Cade. Then I announced that I should go home.

"You sure you don't want to stay for supper?" Darry offered. I resisted the urge to wrinkle my nose at the sight of red mashed potatoes and blue corn with baked chicken and instead just shook my head.

"I've got to get home or my parents will get upset," I replied. Darry had surprised me by being very polite and tidying up the house when he saw there was a guest around. He almost seemed like some of my friends' older brothers. And I knew from school talk that he was a very accomplished football player. Needless to say, I didn't tell _him _that my uncle paid his salary.

"All right. Soda, will you take her home?" Darry asked. It was more like an order, I thought.

Sodapop glanced up at me and nodded after a second. "Sure. Just let me grab a coat." It was a bit chilly for September.

"Uh, I guess I'll see you in English class," Ponyboy said quietly. He'd gotten even more closed off since Darry had gotten home.

"And biology," I added. We had that class together too. He nodded and went back to eating his dinner.

Soda got his jacket and we went out to the truck. I sat on the passenger side, obviously. He peeled out of the driveway with a screech, seeming pleased with his driving skills. I laughed nervously. And he'd called Two-Bit a bad driver…

At stoplights, he tapped the steering wheel impatiently. From what I'd seen, he seemed to have a lot of energy and no way to burn it off at his house. About halfway to my house, he turned to me.

"So how'd you end up as Pony's partner?" he wanted to know.

I shrugged. "That's just the way the chips fell, I guess." Why did he care? I wasn't liking this car ride at all, no matter how good-looking the greaser beside me was. I was very conscious of the fact that now we were nearing my house, anybody could see me in a car with this boy. And that would not be good.

"I guess our house was pretty different from yours," he observed, glancing out the window at the houses on either side of the streets. "And do you like being a partner with a hood like Pony?" He chuckled. I assumed he was joking again.

But I chose to answer anyway. "I wish he wasn't my partner," I said honestly, not even caring how rude it sounded. "He's a greaser, after all."

"So what?" Soda retorted. "I was only kidding about Pony being a hood, you know. He's a real good kid. You could do a lot worse, Soc or greaser."

I was taken about by all this. Suddenly he didn't seem so nice to me. I guess I'd crossed a line in insulting his kid brother. "I know," I said softly. I said it so quietly he couldn't hear it. But I heard it. I just wasn't willing to admit it to anyone else yet.

We were at my house. Soda whistled when he saw it. I'd been planning to jump out and hurry into the house before anyone saw me in a greaser's truck. But as I prepared to do just that, he grabbed my arm. It sort of hurt.

"Look, Marlene," he said earnestly. "You seem like an okay Soc to me. Just…since you're his partner and all, give Pony a chance. You might be surprised at what you find out about people on the east side."

When I didn't answer, he let go and I hopped out, running down my driveway without looking back. Safely inside, I heard his truck pull off down the street.

And I once again whispered to nobody but myself.

"Okay. I'll give him a chance."

**Okay, there's part two. This actually might be a bit longer than just three parts, depending on how people have liked it so far. I have the end all planned out already, so most likely I'll just keep posting even if you all hate it, lol. It's a story I intend to finish! So yeah…reviews? Suggestions? Etc?**


	3. Back on the Other Side of Things

**Part 3**

**Disclaimer: S.E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. I just make up this story. **

"Marlene? Is that you?" my mother called from somewhere in the house. I nodded, then remembered she couldn't see me.

"Yes. I'm home," I replied, hanging up my coat and going into the living room. It was so different from where I'd been sitting just a little while ago, it sort of startled me. Mother was perched on the loveseat, looking a bit put out.

"I didn't know you would be so late for supper," she said disapprovingly.

"That's all right. I'm not hungry anyhow," I told her, sitting on the sofa and trying to lapse back into my normal routine. "And I still have lots of homework to finish."

"Oh, that darling girl Adelaide called earlier," Mother informed me as I got up to go to my bedroom. "But do that homework before you call her back."

I grimaced at the thought of what I would say to my best friend. "Yes, Mother. Is Pete home? And where's Daddy?"

"Your father is working late tonight," Mother explained tightly. "And Peter is at a friend's house, I believe. Why do you ask?"

"No reason," I lied. Pete, at a friend's house? Ha! At a party, was more like it. It was, after all, Friday evening. He was practically never home on a night like this. I went upstairs to my bedroom, my favourite place in the house. Adelaide had finally convinced me to tack up a poster of the Beatles amongst my various pictures of movie stars, and my bed was comfort itself. I loved to just lie on it and think some nights, instead of going to sleep.

I hadn't lied. I did have homework. But I was definitely calling Adelaide back first. Luckily, the phone cord was long enough to stretch into my room and I could still close the door. And I knew Mother would probably stay downstairs most of the night until she went to bed. Or as she put it, "retired for the evening."

I knew Adelaide's phone number by heart, and I dialled it quickly, just in case Mother came up to check on me. She rarely did that anymore, but I'd learned to never say never with her.

"Hello, Sherri Valance speaking," the person on the other end greeted me pleasantly.

"Hi, Cherry. It's Marlene, is Adelaide there?" I asked, secretly glad she'd answered the phone instead of one of their parents. They were nice people, but sort of…cool and aloof whenever I was at their house.

I imagined Adelaide hanging around the phone, hissing, "Is it for me?" as I knew she would be then. She always did whenever somebody answered the phone.

"Yes, just a minute," Cherry replied, and a moment later Adelaide had snatched up the receiver.

"Oh, thank goodness it's you, Marlee!" she cried. "The phone's been ringing off the hook, and it's always for Cherry! I wonder if it will be like that for me once I'm a cheerleader. Do you think so?"

I giggled. "Probably. I'll never be able to get through with _two _cheerleaders living under the same roof. So why did you call earlier?"

Adelaide gasped. "Oh, I'd almost forgotten about that! I wanted to know what it was like being at that boy's house. Was it awful?"

It hadn't been. But she didn't need to know that. I knew she was expecting a description of a rundown home, dirty and full of tough hoods hanging around menacingly. I stuck to the truth, though. I just…embellished it a bit.

"Well, his house was tiny and in a horrid neighbourhood," I said dramatically. "And there were dirty dishes and things lying around all over the house. Even a switchblade on the table beside the sofa. That sort of scared me, Addy."

"Ha! I knew it. Ponyboy Curtis _is _a hood," Adelaide said triumphantly.

I couldn't resist adding, "But his brother is the one who works at the DX."

Adelaide sounded shocked. "You're kidding! The cute one?"

I giggled. "Yes, the cute one."

She sighed longingly. "Man, even Cherry thinks he's a doll. I wouldn't mind going over there so much if it meant I got to see him some more. Marlee! Did you talk to him?"

"Of course," I tried to make it sound like it was nothing out of the ordinary. "Not only that, Addy, but he drove me home too." I had to lift the phone away from my ear, she squealed so loud upon hearing that.

"Oh, wait till I tell Cherry about this!" she exclaimed. "She'll be so impressed, Marlee…except—you're not going to hang around this kid at school, are you?"

"Of course not!" I answered quickly. "I _had _to go to his house, Adelaide. It's not like I wanted to or anything. Don't worry—I still feel the way I always have about greasers."

"Good," Adelaide declared, satisfied. "I can't wait to read what you come up with to write about that hood. Well, I went to Wesley's house once cheerleading tryouts were over and his older brother is a doll! Did you know…"

We talked for over an hour before I told her I had to go finish my homework. Then it was time to start working on that English assignment.

I chewed on the end of my pencil—that's a bad habit I have—and tried to think of what to write about Ponyboy Curtis. He seemed nice enough to me, but how was I supposed to put that in writing? And Adelaide would be reading this before I handed it in. How was I supposed to live up to her standards?

_My English partner is Ponyboy Curtis. I was surprised to learn that he is a year younger than I am. You wouldn't be able to tell by watching how he acts. _

No, that was all wrong. Adelaide would say it sounded like I was gushing over him. And that wasn't what I was trying to do at all.

_My English partner this semester is Ponyboy Curtis. The first thing I found out about him was that he is actually a year younger than I am, which surprised me because he doesn't act younger than the rest of the class at all. _

Was that better? I wished Pete was home to read over it and tell me what I was doing wrong. But then again, he would probably say the same things as Adelaide. He was no fan of greasers, I can tell you that. He'd jumped a few people, I knew, and he'd been to his share of beer blasts. Mother had no idea. She was completely naïve when it came to her Peter. And Daddy was too busy to notice that Pete was getting into trouble. I was the only one who knew and worried about him.

_Ponyboy has two older brothers. They're the only people he lives with since his parents died. His oldest brother is Darrel. He's very good at football, but he has to work now. He roofs houses. He's neater than his brothers, I discovered. I think he cares more about what the house looks like to people. _

Darry had been the most un-hoody greaser I'd ever met. Why, he acted just exactly like some of my brother's friends! If it weren't for his brothers, I suspected that he might even hang around with the same people as Pete.

_His other brother, Sodapop, is a high school dropout. He works at a gas station, trying to help pay the bills. He looks a lot like Ponyboy, and I think he cares about him a lot too. _

Well, that much was obvious from his reaction in the truck when I called his brother a hood. Anyone could see that they were closer than Ponyboy was with Darry. Even I could tell, and I'd meant to be detached about the whole visit.

I wasn't sure what to write after that, so I turned out the light and went to bed early, my thoughts in complete turmoil.

Friday nights had never seemed so lonesome.

I got a rude awakening in the morning. The phone was still in my room, and it was ringing loudly. I knew Mother and Pete would both sleep late, so I reluctantly picked it up. "Hello?" I was too groggy to say who was speaking.

"Hello? Is this Marlene?" The voice was vaguely familiar, but I couldn't place it.

"Yes, this is she." I sat up and tried to rub some of the sleep out of my eyes. I needed a shower to fully wake me up. I looked at my watch, which I'd forgotten to take off the night before. 7: 19.

"This is Ponyboy Curtis," he said, and suddenly I was wide awake. Why in the world would he be calling me at home? Was he _trying _to get me grounded?

"Ponyboy? Why are you calling me?" I blurted out. Then I winced. That didn't sound very good, even to my ears.

He hesitated. "I know you probably, uh, forgot about it, but I still have to go to your house for the other half of the English project. So I can write about you, remember?" he sounded even quieter on the phone.

I didn't say anything. Neither did he. I could hear his breathing. "Marlene?"

"Sorry. Um, I'm sorry, but I don't think that will be possible," I told him, sounding all business-like. This was how Daddy talked on the phone. It seemed to work for him.

"I know it will be weird," Ponyboy added. "But Mr. Syme said—"

"I know what he said," I interrupted. "But it's just not going to work. My parents would be furious if they found out that's where I was last night. I just can't see it happening, Ponyboy." I bit my lip, feeling guilty. "I really am sorry."

He was silent again for a few seconds. "All right. Forget it. I'll make something up."

"No, you can't," I argued. I wasn't even sure why. Maybe because it wasn't fair that I passed and he failed the assignment because of where we lived. "Listen, I can try to get them out of the house, or something…"

"No. It's okay, I understand," Ponyboy answered. He sounded like he actually did, but didn't agree with it. "Sorry to wake you up."

"It's fine," I said, even as I yawned. "One thing, though—how did you get my phone number?"

He chuckled. "Phone books are wonderful things," he said solemnly, then he hung up.

I smiled too before setting the receiver down. It really was impossible for him to come over, my mother would never stand for it. It would be a mess.

But I still felt bad. So much for giving him a chance. I'd try harder next time.

But the thing that scared me the most? For a moment it had seemed like we were friends.

**So there's the fourth installment. No, it's not over. I'm not sure if this one came out as strong as the others, but that's the way it goes sometimes, I guess.**

**Thanks for all the reviews, by the way! **


	4. Chance Opportunities

**Part 4**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Outsiders. I write this for my own enjoyment (and yours, of course). **

On Monday at school, I sat next to Adelaide in English class. Ponyboy was sitting off by himself, as usual. It was as though my visit to his house had never happened. Until Mr. Syme called the class to attention, that is.

"All right. From now on, at the start of class, I'd like you to sit with your partners right away," he told us. "Saves me the trouble of telling you every time."

Adelaide happily moved over beside Wesley, but once again, I gathered my things slowly and sat next to Ponyboy. He smiled tentatively at me. I returned it briefly.

"Today, I'd like you to ask your partner about their favourite place in the world," Mr. Syme directed. "You will talk about them, brainstorm together, and then each of you will write a page on your own favourite place. When you're through, your partner will read and edit your page. As always, if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask them. All right, go to it then."

I turned to Ponyboy and asked bluntly, "Well, what's yours?" He looked startled and didn't answer for a moment.

"I don't know," he mumbled hesitantly. "I haven't been to all that many places."

"I don't think that matters," I said thoughtfully. "I don't think it has to be somewhere far away or where you went on vacation one time. I just think it's the place most special to you."

He looked at me oddly then, and I just caught a flash of something in his eye for a split second before he looked away again, his eyes clouded over. What had it been? Curiosity? Some sort of new respect? Scorn?

"Well, I think my favourite place in the world is the country," Ponyboy told me, sounding more apprehensive than I'd ever heard him when speaking to me. He almost sounded afraid to tell me about it. And to tell the truth, it did feel a little funny, hearing about a greaser's favourite place in the world. "I don't know, I like the peace and quiet. Somewhere I can actually hear myself think."

I found myself thinking, _I bet there's not too much quiet time at his house with all their friends hanging around. _"Okay," I said lamely. "Anything else?"

Ponyboy nodded. "I don't like the big town feeling. Sure, I'm used to it, living where I do, but I still like to be in the open space more. You know?"

"Yeah," I agreed. "I guess I do." He was surprising me more and more as a partner. He was much smarter than most of the boys Adelaide liked to hang around with, and probably politer too. Or maybe I just thought that because he was so quiet. Which was also a surprise.

"What about you?" his question completely took me off guard. Where _was _my favourite place in the world?

"I—I don't know," I stammered, completely losing my calm composure. I was flustered, something I wasn't used to in the classroom. I looked frantically at Adelaide, but she was laughing gaily at something Wesley had said.

"My bedroom!" I finally choked out the words. He gave me another odd look, like he'd thought I would say some tropical destination or exotic vacation area. I could've straightened him out. I could have corrected his ideas about my family. I could have levelled with him and told him how my family hadn't been on a real trip together since I was a little girl because my father was always at work.

Or I could have told him that the reason I liked my bedroom so much was because my mother didn't ever go in there, so she couldn't get on my case about my grades and fret about my father being late again.

Or I could've even confessed my worries about my older brother, and how I lay in bed, staying up late until he came home, because I was afraid of the alcohol he drank. Because I was the only one who knew about his parties and some of the things he did with his friends when they were bored.

This was when I had the opportunity to give him a chance. Even Adelaide didn't know some of these things, but after all, it was easier to tell a virtual stranger than someone close to you, wasn't it?

But I didn't tell him any of these things.

"I like my bedroom because it's the place in the house that belongs to me. My mother can't change it, I get to choose what decorates my own four walls," I explained, after a long pause. "And I can go up there when I need to be alone." _Not that I couldn't be alone somewhere else, in our big, empty house. _

Ponyboy nodded again. He looked reflective, almost wistful even. "I sometimes go to my room for quiet too. 'Course, that doesn't mean much, since I share with Soda and you saw how loud he can be when people are around," he said with a grin.

I suddenly laughed out loud. I don't know why that struck me as funny, but it did. It was a spontaneous laugh. And it made me think how little I really did laugh for no reason. It made me think I should do it more often. How forced my laugh really was most of the time.

"Do you wish you had your own room?" I asked him curiously.

Ponyboy seemed to be deep in thought for a few seconds. He had that look about him a lot. He nodded, then after a moment frowned and shook his head.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, another little chuckle in my voice. He looked funny when he was confused by something. Even just his own thoughts.

"I would sometimes," he said finally. "When I'm trying to think about something and I can't concentrate because Soda is around. Or when I want to go to sleep, but he wants to talk more. He likes to talk when we're supposed to go to bed," he added, half to me, half to himself. "But I don't think I would like it if he had the chance for his own room and moved out."

"Why not?" I prodded. I was prying, sort of. But I knew if he didn't like the question, he just wouldn't answer. My older brother was the same way.

"Because I have—" he started to say, then got that closed-off look again and grew quiet. "Just because I would miss his arm over me late at night. And if it was quiet all the time, I would go crazy from not being able to tell Soda to shut up."

I grinned. I could somehow picture him having to do that a lot. I opened my mouth to reply, but was cut off by Mr. Syme.

"Please begin the written portion of the assignment now, class," he told us. "When you're done, proofread and edit each other's work."

I pulled out a fresh sheet of lined paper and clicked the bottom of my pen. I heard Ponyboy's pencil scratching his page before I started writing.

_My favourite place in the world is my bedroom. It's my own space in the house, somewhere nobody else can touch because it belongs to me. I choose what goes on the walls, I choose what goes on inside the walls. I'm the only one who is in there most of the time, because my parents spend most of their time downstairs or out of the house, for that matter. And I go to my room to get away from them, to be honest. I know they won't follow me in there, so it's like my escape. My father isn't around enough to lecture me, so my mother covers it for him. Sometimes her nagging voice follows me all the way up the stairs, and I can hear it until I shut the door. Then I'm alone. Quiet reigns once again. _

_The door is a barrier between the rest of the world and myself. In my room, I can let down any guards I have and just relax. My brother would understand what I have to say, but he's out even more than my father sometimes. And nobody else would listen like him. So the only one who hears it is me, and my pillow._

_My pillow has soaked up more tears than I can remember. I don't cry all the time, or spend all my time sobbing when I go to bed. I haven't cried myself to sleep in a long time. But before I learned how to hold emotions back, it got a lot of use. I refuse to replace it, no matter how badly the pillowcase clashes with my bedspread. _

_My bedroom is my favourite place in the world because of all these things, and more. When I move out of the house, I will be sorry to leave it behind. And I hate to think of someone else buying our home and taking it over. _

_For now, it still remains my own. Mine. The part of my house that most embodies me. And I love it. _

There, I thought, putting down my pen for the first time, relaxing my cramped hand muscles. My wrist hurt, but I was satisfied with my work.

Then I read it over, and I could've burst out laughing for the second time that class at what I saw. I couldn't hand this in! I could never let Ponyboy Curtis read these words!

Letting him read it would've been trusting him with a lot. Sodapop would've liked that way of giving him a chance. I would've liked to have given him it. It was a window into my life, and that of my family, that was very rarely opened.

And I promptly shut it again.

No matter how much it would've been telling Ponyboy some things like he'd told me in the past few days, I couldn't do it.

Class was over. We would be editing the pages the next class. Even as I tucked the piece of paper away with my books, I knew I would be rewriting that English assignment.

**Next time I post may be the last part. I hope she's still sounding like a realistic Soc would. Thanks for all the reviews once again, they're very encouraging! **


	5. Failed Assignment

**Part 5**

**Disclaimer: The Outsiders is totally and completely SE Hinton's. And I'd just like to add, sorry for the really long lag between chapters. **

The next day we handed in our English assignments, both the ones about our favourite places and the ones about the lifestyle of our partner. I felt fairly confident that I would get good grades on both of them, having fully rewritten the essay on my bedroom. The other copy—the first one—was tucked away in one of my desk drawers, probably to be uncovered months later when Mother insisted that I reorganize myself.

At lunch, Adelaide remarked, "You sure are quiet, Marlee. Aren't you glad that assignment is over? The one where you had to study that greaser's family?"

"Sure," I said. "I guess so. It was just an assignment, wasn't it?"

"Well, yeah," said Adelaide, smiling at me in a rather superior way. "But some people were starting to say that it almost looked as though the two of you were getting to be—well, you know—friends, or something."

"And what would be a problem?" I said, without thinking. Then I regretted it instantly, as her eyes widened, stunned. "I mean, I have to talk to him, don't I? I need to get a good grade on this, remember?"

Adelaide looked at me reproachfully. "Are you sure this is all just about the grade, Marlee? You've been acting a little _too _friendly with that Curtis boy."

"Wow. I'm surprised you noticed, you were so busy laughing it up with Wesley," I retorted. I was annoyed by her attitude. She had no idea what we'd been talking about. It had all been purely academic. Of course, I had been trying to give him more of a chance, or sort of, anyway, but she didn't need to know that.

"That's got nothing to do with this. Ugh—there he goes, why don't you go chat him up some more, Marlee?" Adelaide said with a smirk, as Ponyboy passed by with his friend Two-Bit. I didn't answer until they were out of earshot.

"Adelaide, that was rude. What if he'd heard you?" I said, trying to be calm.

She tossed her reddish hair, unconcerned. "Who cares?" she tossed back. "It's not as though he has any friends in our class anyway. He knows I'm not too fond of him."

"Listen, Adelaide Valance," I said suddenly. I couldn't believe we were having a fight over a greaser! "I know you try to be exactly like your older sister. Including being a cheerleader." She blinked, startled. "Well, I happen to know that your sister Cherry is not rude like that—to anyone! She might not be friends with greasers, and neither am I, but she treats them decently in class. And if you really want to be like her, you would too!"

Adelaide looked like I'd slapped her across the face. "I cannot believe you are telling me about _my _sister, Marlene Evanson," she said coldly. "Cherry would never—_never!_—be that friendly with someone like Ponyboy Curtis. Especially not at school. And for your information, I say go ahead and make friends with him and his trashy friends. You always did have a taste for junk." She turned abruptly and flounced away in the opposite direction.

I was left blinking away tears. I couldn't believe our argument had gotten so heated. In my next class—math, my worst subject—I couldn't concentrate. She hadn't meant what she'd said, I was sure of it. But it had still hurt to hear.

And in the afternoon I headed off to my biology class. It was the last class of the day. I was greeted in the doorway by a jubilant Adelaide, who announced that she'd earned a spot on the junior cheerleading squad, tier one. I did the appropriate things—hugged her, told her excitedly that I would come to all the games, and agreed to stay after school for her first practice, without really knowing what I was saying. It all seemed so routine. All her anger with me seemed to have evaporated. I waited pointlessly for her to apologize for what she'd said, but it was no use, as Adelaide made no mention of our fight. I'd known she'd do this—she didn't offer explanation for anything she did, just moved on and expected me to do the same.

When class began, she moved to sit beside Wesley, and motioned for me to do the same, but I shook my head and went to my usual place, right by a window so I could look out if the lesson wasn't particularly interesting. To my surprise, I felt a tap on my shoulder and looked up to see a pair of hesitant but friendly green eyes.

"Mind if I sit here?" Ponyboy asked, sounding a bit doubtful but calm, as though he was already expecting me to refuse, and would accept it as it came.

"Um," I said, stalling as I thought. I didn't want to be rude, so finally I shrugged. "If you really want to," I said loftily. Brief surprise registered but he sat down, keeping his distance. I knew I was being a bit cold, but I'd just patched things up with Adelaide, and I didn't want her to get the wrong idea…again.

We were doing an experiment—worm dissection. Gross, but at least it wasn't boring textbook work.

And then Ponyboy put down his razor, pulled out a switchblade and cut his worm with one quick stroke of the blade.

It took me a moment to react. I stared at the blade. Ponyboy noticed my gaze and held it out to me, offering without words to cut mine for me too, if I wanted.

I threw my startled gaze to Adelaide, who shot me a stern look that said _put him in his place! _I knew this was the time to choose what to do—accept him for who he was and look past it, or be a coward. In a split second it was all over.

I gasped. The whole class looked over to see what was happening as I cried, "They were right. You are a hood!"

The room erupted into laughter. I saw Adelaide giggling madly and she gave me a thumbs-up from across the room, Wesley roaring with laughter beside her. I saw Ponyboy's hurt look for a moment before his eyes became shadowed again, and he put the switchblade back in his pocket.

And as I thought of my paper waiting on my teacher's desk to be graded, I knew that no matter how high a mark I scored on the essay, I had failed Mr. Syme's English assignment.

**Author's Note: Finally, I finished it! I apologize for not updating anything for so long. I have had this ending planned for months but just never got around to it, but I hope I managed to end this one off on a good note. So, even though it took so long, reviews would still be very much apprectiated, or a kick in the butt to get me working on my other fics again! Hope you liked it. :)**


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